The cult of “Lost.” In the spring of 1980, “Dallas” ended its season with the biggest network television cliffhanger ever. Viewers waited all summer to discover who shot conniving oilman J.R. Ewing; when CBS finally provided the answer that fall, a record 76% of American TVs in use were tuned into the show. In that pre-Internet, pre-podcast, pre-TiVo world, networks had only each other to compete with. Today, under pressure from on-demand media, networks are using new tricks to retain viewers. Their strategy this time around? Turn shows into communities and viewers into cult-like fanatics. ABC’s “Lost” is probably the most visible example of this recent phenomenon, but it’s not the only one. What strategies are networks and advertisers using to gain the attention of that ever-important consumer? The Big Brains at the turn their laserlike intellect on the issue (maybe next year we can work on global warming or world hunger?). *Full disclosure…yes one of the Supergeniuses went to Penn*

Another gem from our friends at Fallon around the idea that… “we should accept that all brands command only fleeting and broken attention and comprehension. And that this should be liberating not constricting.” In other words, there’s a power and opportunity in the increasingly short attention spans of consumers, we just have to leverage these spaces and “say or do” something impactful.

Rather than rely on the tired examples of Lost, CSI or 24 as an example of this, they instead offer for our consideration The Fast Show character Rowley Birkin, who is much shorter (and funnier).

Point being, there’s enourmous value in the bits of life you don’t quite get. There’s attention and fascination in the story not quite fully told.

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Super Genius LLC is a digital media and creative incubator that excels at bringing fresh, new thinking to existing strategy as well as blank-page strategic development. Our mission is to open up unique and exciting ways of connecting brands and consumers.

"The future is here, it's just not evenly distributed yet." William Gibson